An outlaw, Artur do Amor Divino, aka Tucão, rules the neighborhood of Ramos, in Rio de Janeiro. He runs an illegal lottery. But his power is threatened by the rival Jovelino Sabonete. Noeli, a female cab-driver, falls in love with Tucão's son, Zelito. There's also a Romeo-and-Juliet-style love affair between Taís, Tucão's daughter, and Márcio, Jovelino's son. But in a costume party, Márcio is killed by Tucão's gang, headed by Quidoca. As a backdrop to the whole series, we find Zé Catimba and his girfriend Lena, prominent figures at Imperatriz Leopoldinense Samba School.